Closure cap



Aug. 31, 1943. s. N. TEVANDER CLOSURE CAP Filed March 24, 1941 .ZEzz/ezefri Patented Aug. 31, 1943 UNITED STATES ra'riaziyr OFFICE- CLOSURE CAP Swan N. Tevander, Maywood, Ill.

Application March 24, 1941, Serial No. 384,830

1 Claim.

This invention relates to closures for jars and like containers of the type commonly used as receptacles for jellies, jams, preserves, salad dressings and like foodstuffs.

One object of the invention i to provide a metallic closure cap adapted to cooperate with an externally projecting bead formed on the rim of the container.

Another object is to provide a closure cap having the securing means adapted to compensate for slight inaccuracies in the dimensions of the bead and to secure satisfactory sealing notwithstanding such variations.

A further object of the invention is to provide a closure cap having a simple form of retaining means adapted for application to a glass or jar without the use of complicated tools or mechanism.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear as the description proceeds.

In the drawing;

Figure 1 is. a side elevation showing the upper portion of a glass or jar fitted with a closure cap embodying this invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical section taken substantially through the axis of the jar and cap and showing the cap in the process of application to the jar.

Figure 3 is a section taken similarly to Figure 2 but showing the cap in fully applied sealing position.

Figure 4 is a horizontal section taken through the cap alone, as indicated at line 44 on Figure 1.

Glass receptacles for packing jams, jellies and like foodstuffs are frequently made in the form of tumblers or drinking glasses, and whereas jelly glasses were formerly made with a flat or ground upper edge to facilitate sealing a cap thereon, the type of glass with which this invention is concerned is formed with a smoothly rounded bead whose diameter is somewhat greater than the thickness of the side wall of the glass so that the bead projects externally thereof. In the drawing such a glass is shown at I, with an externally projecting bead 2 formed at its rim. In the manufacture of such a glass there is likely to be a variation of a few thousandths of an inch in the diameter at the bead, and in some cases a slight variation in the depth or crosssectional diameter of the bead itself; hence, it is deisrable that any closure cap designed for use with such a receptacle be adapted to accommodate itself to these slight variations of dimensions.

The cap embodying this invention is formed preferably of sheet metal and includes a flat top Wall 3 and a skirt or flange 4 which is flared outwardly at its lower portion and seamed or rolled to form a smooth lower edge at 5. At a short distance inward from the skirt the top wall is formed with an annular depression 5 which defines inside the cap a marginal area for seat ing contact with the top of the bead 2. In fact, between the annular depression 6 and the skirt or flange of the cap the seating areabecomes a channel which is preferably supplied with a plastic sealing compound such as latex, indicated at 1 in Figures 2 and 3.

The skirt or flange 4 intermediate its flared lower portion and the plane of the sealing compound is formed with a plurality of spaced arcuate segments 8 which are V-shaped in vertical cross-section, and which indent the skirt or flange at intervals, leaving intervening short vertical portions of the flange at 9 which are not thus deformed. As seen in Figure 2, the lower flared portion of the skirt flange 4 fits loosely over the bead 2 of the jar l and facilitates the initial placement of th cap thereon. The out-. .wardly and downwardly inclined lower faces 8 of the V-shaped segments 8 rest initially on the upper rounded surface of the bead 2 and then upon the applicationof an evenly distributed downward pressure against the top of the cap these inclined surfaces 8 are cammed over the bead, and the resilience of the material of the cap permits the segments 8 to expand momentarily and then snap into final position, as shown in Figure 3. At this position the annular seating area with its sealing compound 1 is brought into contact with the upper edge of the bead 2,

and the inclined upper faces 8 of the segments 8 are engaged with the rounded under surface of the head 2 for locking the cap to the jar I.

If the V-shaped depression were formed continuously around the skirt flange of the cap instead of being composed of the segments 8, as shown, it would be too stiff to yield resiliently in the application of the cap or to adapt itself to variations in the diameter of the jar at the rim. But with the depressions comprising only segmental portions separated by the undepressed areas 9 it is possible for the V-shaped formation of each segment to be momentarily flattened to a slight extent in snapping over the bead 2, or

side diameter or in cross-section. Incidentally, it may be noted that I prefer to provide an uneven number of the segments 8 in the circumference of the flange 4, as indicated in Figure 4, so that the inwardly radial pressure exerted by any one of the segments 8 is not directly aligned with the pressure from any other segment; hence, there is no concentrated diametral strain on the glass, tending to crush or break it at the rim.

With the inclined upper faces ii of the segments 8 engageable tangentially against the rounded under surface of the bead 2, it will be evident thata considerable variation in the size of the bead is permissible, and that the V-shaped segments will accommodate themselves more or less resiliently to beads of different sizes, within avlimited range, without any sacrifice of efliciency in holding the cap in sealed position. And for releasing the cap the application of an ordinary hook type of can opener to the rolled edge 5 of the skirt flange will readily force one or more of the segments 8 free of the head without seriously deforming the top wall 3. Even if it is slightly bent, it can be straightened out by hand so that the cover, once separated in the process of removal, can be placed repeatedly as a is used up.

As will be seen from Figure 4, the intervening short areas of the flange at 9 which are left standing by the formation of the separate arcuate, indented segments 8 are outwardly convex in horizontal section so that they constitute vertical stiffening ribs at intervals in the circumference of the flange. Thus when the cap i forced over the bead 2 of the jar, as the inclined under faces 8* of the segments 8 engage the upper rounded surface of the bead and are forced or cammed outwardly thereover, the stiffening ribs at 9 reinforce the skirt flange so as to prevent its collapse under the pressure and insure that the segments will yield out wardly and then spring back to look under the bead as the cap arrives in seating position.

While there is shown and described herein,

certain specific structure embodying the invention, it will be manifest to those skilled in the art that various modifications and re-arrangements of the parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and that the same is not limited to the particular form herein shown and described, except in so far as indicated by the appended claim. I

I claim as my invention:

In combination with a container having an externally beaded rim of rounded cross-section, a metallic cap comprising a top wall which includes a marginal portion having a sealing surface and dimensioned to seat on said rim, and a. skirt depending from said portion and having its lower edge rolled over in a continuous circumferential reinforcing bead, said skirt having inwardly projecting arcuate segments closely spaced at intervals in its periphery, said segments being V-shaped in vertical cross-section with their lower inner faces inclined downwardly and outwardly and dimensioned to cam over the beaded rim when the cap is pressed onto it, each pair of adjacent segments being joined by a. single relatively narrow vertically extending rib which is outwardly convex and rounded in horizontal section serving to stiifen the skirt against collapse when it is pressed over the beaded rim but afifording sufficient resiliency to allow said skirt to expand as the segments pass over the beaded rim and to contract with the upper faces of said segments engaging the rounded under surface of the bead to retain the cap on the container.

SWAN N. TEVANDER. 

